1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to snowboard maintenance equipment and more specifically to a guide for holding and positioning a file or other abrasive device to hold the cutting or other abrasive face in a predetermined plane relative to the bottom running face of the snowboard and therefore the edge of the snowboard for controlling the angle at which the metal edge of the snowboard is finished.
2. Background
The craft of maintaining and preparing snowboards for use, both by recreational snowboarders and racers, has evolved to a relatively advanced state. The expectations of both the snowboarder and maintenance personnel regarding the performance of the snowboard as a result of tuning has increased dramatically over the last several years. Both the bases and the edges of snowboards are tuned to exacting specifications depending upon the intended use by the snowboarder. While the object of snowboard tuning has evolved significantly, it continues to be an object of the edge sharpening procedure to create a consistently smooth, sharp edge having a side edge portion which is substantially perpendicular to the running base of the snowboard and a bottom face of the metal snowboard edge which is cut at anywhere from zero degrees, or parallel to the running base of the snowboard, to five or seven degrees as desired by the snowboarder, or as required by conditions.
Snowboard tuning may be performed in shops, where the technician is likely to have a work bench and a means, typically a vise, for holding the snowboard secured in a predetermined orientation, typically with the base up. Alternately, snowboard tuning may be done at the last minute on the snowboard slope or just prior to a race, depending on existing or changing conditions. Additionally, snowboard tuning is performed by individuals having a range of experience, including well trained and seasoned individuals to those who have had relatively no experience or who may be simply seasonal employees.
Numerous devices have been disclosed for tuning the metal edge of a ski. Among these are Honauer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,429, Apparatus for Sharpening Edges of Skis, Sparling, U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,076, Ski Servicing and Repair Tool and Labriola, U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,874, Hand Held Pocket Sized Ski Repair and Maintenance Tool.
Other tools and fixtures have been disclosed which provide a means for filing both the vertical side face of the metal edge and the bottom face of the metal edge of a ski. Sherman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,956, discloses a sharpener for sharpening the vertical and horizontal metallic edge surfaces of a ski or snow board. Howard, U.S. Pat. No 3,934,287, Combination Ski Maintenance Tool, discloses a tool or fixture for holding a file for flat filing the running base of a ski. Nilsson, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,382, Sharpening Device for Steel Ski Edge Strips, discloses a tool for sharpening the side face of the metal edge of a ski and provides means for bending the file blade to limit the cutting action to a few teeth at a time. Strojny, U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,624, Edge Sharpener, discloses a device for holding a file which may be used to file either the side face of a metal edge or the bottom face of a metal edge. Hofstetter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,409, discloses a device for finishing the edges of a ski which has a base plate which moves along the base of the ski with a pair of blocks having finishing surfaces disposed on either side of the base plate for simultaneously finishing the bottom face of either of the two metal edges of the ski. Vermillion, U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,768, Ski Sharpening Guide, claims a ski sharpening guide for use with a file for sharpening the edges of a ski. Finally, Vermillion, U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,066, Fixture for Ski Edge Finishing Tool, discloses a fixture for positioning a file or other abrasive finishing tool relative to the running surface of a ski so that the bottom face of the ski edge may be beveled. The fixture is configured to allow either or both the angle and the width of the bottom face of the edge that is finished to be varied.
Configurations of skis and snowboards vary substantially. The width and length of a snowboard varies substantially from the width of a ski. Edge design, sidecuts and camber requirements for ski and snowboard design respectively also vary substantially. Similarly, the performance requirements for a ski vary from the performance requirements for snowboards. Insofar as configurations and performance requirements for skis and snowboards vary, many tools available for ski tuning are unadaptable to snowboard tuning.
While the above referenced devices serve a variety of purposes relative to the craft of ski tuning and finishing, what is needed is a simple hand held fixture for positioning and orienting a file or other finishing tool at a predetermined height and a predetermined angle relative to the running base of a snowboard and therefore the metal edge of the snowboard for finishing the bottom face of the metal edge of the snowboard at a predetermined angle relative to the flat running base of the snowboard and/or at a predetermined width from the marginal edge of the snowboard.
An object of the present invention is to provide a fixture for holding or positioning a finishing tool which allows the angle at which the file is held relative to the running base of the snowboard to be adjusted.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fixture for positioning and orienting a finishing tool at a predetermined angle relative to the running base of the snowboard which is simple to index against the running base and the marginal side of the snowboard so that a relatively untrained individual is capable of producing and repeating consistent results.
According to the present invention, these and other objects are achieved by a fixture for positioning an abrasive tool for finishing a snowboard edge so that the bottom face of the snowboard edge is beveled relative to the base of the snowboard. The fixture includes a head member having a foot which supports the head above the base of the snowboard. An arm projects from the head for, preferably, adjustable attachment to a carrier. The carrier includes a tool shim forming a base of the carrier. The tool shim includes a top face, a bottom face and a shim thickness defined by the distance between the top face and the bottom face. When the fixture is in use, the tool shim bottom face lies in a plane substantially parallel to the base of the snowboard and may be held in sliding contact with the base of the snowboard at a predetermined and fixed distance from the marginal side of the snowboard.
The foot is configured including an indexing portion for indexing the fixture against the marginal side of the snowboard. The indexing portion includes a base indexing face which lies in a plane substantially parallel to the base of the snowboard when the fixture is in use. The indexing portion also includes a marginal side indexing surface which lies in a plane substantially parallel to the marginal side of the snowboard and serves to hold the carrier with its associated tool shim at a predetermined and fixed distance from the marginal side of the snowboard when the fixture is in use.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the fixture includes a head member having a pair of feet supporting the head above the base of the snowboard. The feet may be fabricated from a nylon, plastic or Teflon(copyright) material which allows the fixture to slide easily along the length of the snowboard allowing the fixture to accurately engage and index against the base and the marginal side of the metal edge of the snowboard.
A finishing tool, such as a file, is held at a predetermined working angle relative to the base of the snowboard by spanning the file between the shim and the edge of the snowboard. The working angle of the bevel may be varied by advancing the arm through the carrier, effectively shortening an opposite side of a triangle defined by a plane defining a working face of the finishing tool, the base of the snowboard and the shim thickness.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the feet, the carrier and the arm are all replaceable or interchangeable. Alternately, the fixture may be offered to a user in a fixed version wherein various parts are not replaceable. In this embodiment, a variety of tools having different fixed configurations would be manufactured and offered for use to provide a variety of bevel angles.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.